


Costume Optional

by misskatieleigh



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Halloween Costumes, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-23 05:53:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12500268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misskatieleigh/pseuds/misskatieleigh
Summary: All Bodhi wanted to do was find a costume and get out of the store. Things...do not go his way.





	Costume Optional

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to [SemiSweetShadow](http://semisweetshadow.tumblr.com) for the beta! Written for the SniperPilot Halloween Day 7 Prompt: Costumes (and also Day 3: I came out of the fitting room in the ridiculous outfit my friend made me try and oh god you’re not them, uh, how do I look anyway?)

“Jyn, I think you gave me one of your outfits on accident…”

Bodhi tugged on the sleeves of the shirt that he had managed to wriggle into. He wasn’t sure if it was meant to be some sort of figure skating costume or if it was actually from the children’s department. In either case, he wasn’t getting back out of it without some assistance. Possibly the jaws of life. 

Bodhi cracked open the fitting room door, trying to poke his head out without the rest of him following. “Jyn! Come help me with this darn thing.”

He heard footsteps come around the corner and he breathed out a sigh of relief. Well, half a breath, he was trying not to split the seams on this...whatever it was. Pushing the door open the rest of the way, Bodhi lifted his arms up over his head. “Okay, please help me get this off before I rip it and have to pay for a costume I can’t even wear.”

The footsteps stopped, followed by a sharp intake of breath. The hiccuping laugh that followed was a surprise, much deeper than Jyn’s. Bodhi turned around slowly, knowing he was only delaying the inevitable. His cheeks were burning with embarrassment and he tugged his lower lip into his mouth as he looked up and winced at the man standing there laughing at him. 

The man standing there was definitely not Jyn. Worse than that; he was cute. 

More than cute, actually, with eyes that crinkled up at the corners and a sharp jawline hidden beneath a scruff of beard. His hair curled softly around his ears and he dragged a hand through it, wiping away the tears that were rolling down his cheeks from his laughter. “You - oh god - that’s - where did… hang on.” The man clapped a hand over his mouth, trying to control his grin by physical force. “I’m sorry. I’m horrible, I know, but...I don’t even think we sell that here.”

Bodhi slowly brought his hands back down to his sides, feeling the pull of the fabric against his chest. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror and sighed heavily. He prayed for a hole to open up in floor and swallow him up, tears of frustration gathering at the corner of his eyes. Then there were soft hands on his shoulders, the man’s spastic grin slipping away to be replaced by a look of concern. He pressed his lips together, mouth curving down. “Oh shit. Hey, you're okay. That was really mean. God, you must think I'm some kind of asshole…”

Bodhi swallowed around the ache in his throat. “It's fine. I'm - I just was expecting someone else and - I really am stuck?” He looked up into the man's eyes, confused by the warmth he saw reflected there.  
The man stepped back, biting his lip as he looked Bodhi over. The flash of heat that the action sent through Bodhi terrified him and he fought back the urge to curl in and hide the softness at this waist and all the other flaws his brain tried to convince him were blatantly on display. None of this seemed apparent to the man, as he finished his assessment and nodded curtly. 

“Okay, firstly, my name is Cassian. I’m going to have to touch you, so you at least ought to know my name.” He touched his chest as he spoke, blunt fingertips pressing into the well worn t-shirt he wore. He had nice hands, Bodhi thought absently. 

Bodhi’s face worked it’s way through an extensive array of expressions, finally settling on a strained smile. “Uh. Bodhi. Nice to meet you?” 

Cassian chuckled. “Likewise. Okay, I think you were probably right with your arms up before, so let’s try that again.” He gestured with both hands, open palms lifting toward the ceiling. Bodhi felt his stomach clench and he pressed his lips together. He raised his arms, bracing for the feel of hands at his waist. Cassian stepped forward, cupping his palms against Bodhi's elbows. “Hey, is this alright? I could go try to find your friend instead…”

Shaking his head, Bodhi took a deep breath. There was an ache in his chest that went beyond this situation. He’d only just started to realize that he prefered someone like Cassian to someone like Jyn. Nevermind the fact that he just felt awkward whenever he looked in the mirror, too small and soft compared to the other guys his age. “It's fine. Let's just get this over with, yeah?”

Cassian hummed in agreement, reaching down to grip the hem of the shirt between thumb and forefinger. He pulled upwards and Bodhi tried not to shiver at the drag of warm palms over his ribs. Eventually the fabric covered his face, the feeling of being trapped curling in the wake of those palms to steal his breath. Then, as suddenly as if it had never happened, he was free, left only with the snugness of fabric around his wrists. Cassian guided his arms down, eyes flickering to Bodhi's exposed collarbone, the dusting of hair across his chest. He shrugged the shirt the rest of the way off, grasping it in front of himself like he needed to preserve his modesty. 

“Bodhi! What in the world? I leave for five minutes and you're making time with the fitting room attendant?” 

Jyn's voice cut through the silence like a knife, and even though he could hear the teasing sarcasm in her tone, it still raised his hackles and he had to bite back the defensive quip ready to leap from his tongue. Instead, and surprisingly so, it was Cassian that came to his defense, rounding on her with his jaw clenched in indignation. “He wasn’t ‘making time’ with me. If you’re so worried about what your boyfriend’s getting up to, maybe don’t abandon him in the fitting room next time.”

Jaw dropping, Jyn took a step back, and Bodhi could see the coming fight play out in his mind like a premonition, probably ending with them thrown out of the store, if not banned. He stepped between them, shooting a wide eyed glance in Jyn's direction before grasping Cassian's arm and shaking his head. “It’s fine, she’s just kidding. And she's not - she's not my girlfriend anyways, just a friend.” 

He ducked his head, swallowing heavily. “I appreciate it though, and the - the help as well.” Glancing up, he caught Cassian looking at him, a crease forming between his eyes. “I'll get out of your hair now. Um, thank you.” 

Then he turned and headed back to the fitting room to put his own clothes back on. Safely back in his own baggy t-shirt, Bodhi filled his arms with the costumes, carefully eased back onto their hangers. He nudged the door open, almost colliding with the body stood just outside the door and flailing to keep the clothes from falling to the floor. It was Cassian, and he grabbed at the clothes as well, ending with them clutched in each other's arms and standing far too close together. A blush rose on Cassian’s cheeks, making him infinitely more attractive and doing nothing to slow the rapid pace of Bodhi’s heart. “Sorry! Wow, just when I thought I couldn’t embarrass myself any more today.”

Cassian smiled, honey slow and somehow tied to Bodhi’s own cheeks as he unwittingly grinned in return. “I just wanted to make sure you were all set. Did you find a costume at least?”

“No, I think I’m going to skip the costume this year. It’s just an excuse to drink crappy beer at someone’s apartment anyway.”

Cassian’s smile broadened, and he reached up to rub the back of his neck nervously. “So, does that mean you’ll be free on Halloween?”

Bodhi’s eyes widened. “Free for what?”

The blush deepened, and Bodhi grew increasingly aware that Cassian wasn’t stepping away, arms still wrapped around the mountain of cheap polyester between them. “A date. I’m asking you on a date, or trying to at least. Sorry, I’m not very good at this.”

“You’re not very - I’m sorry, are you aware of how attractive you are? _I’m not very good at this._ ” Bodhi raised both eyebrows, trying to figure out if this was some sort of trick. He’d already made a fool of himself once, he wasn’t looking to do it again. “Did Jyn ask you to do this? I know I’m not great looking, but I don’t need a pity date yet.”

Cassian looked shocked, and he shook his head before Bodhi was even halfway through his sentence. “No! No, I - Do you really think you’re unattractive?” 

Bodhi ducked his head, but Cassian kept going. “I know I laughed before, but it was because you looked so adorable, not because of...anything else.” 

Bodhi chanced a look up. He couldn’t believe this was actually happening to him, but he couldn’t see anything but truth in Cassian’s eyes. Then Cassian said, “I really would like to take you on a date. Will you go out with me?”

Bodhi felt the smile growing on his face. He needed to start being brave, and maybe this was the first step toward that. It was just a date, with a cute guy that seemed sincere. He could do that. 

“Yes. I’d like that.”

“Good. And I promise, no costumes.”


End file.
